...at the end of the film with Helen and her baby in the field? Did that child belong to her, too? I'm confused. I also never did understand whether Helen and her child(ren) are being permitted to stay at Howard's End or what? BTW, I can't see Prunella Scales w/o thinking of her as Basil's wife in "Fawlty Towers"--Ha!
share[deleted]
It's Helen's son! She had the son with Leonard Bast. They are allowed to stay because with the disgrace of Charles going to prison, Helen's disgrace is minimal. Besides which, the boy is now the inheritor of Howards End which is the whole point of the novel about the classes merging and answering the question who will inherit England?
share[deleted]
of course she is allowed to stay at Howards End
the end shows all the characters connecting, Leonard Bast's son (the poor), Margaret and Helen (the inner life) and Henry (the outer life)!
Who inherits England?
All of their characters and elements joined togethor.
The boy is the grandson of Ms. Avery, Tom. I know this reading the book.
shareI think the boy is actually Charles and Dolly's son...
shareThe boy is not a character, merely a real life pupil at the local school (peppard primary) who was allowed to be an extra while the film was being made. I know because I was a pupil of the same school at the time, sure i was 6 but you don't forget a thing like that. Plus my class was given a tour of the set and met the actors! although i was too young to know who they were.
sharekjcultra is right. The young boy plays a character called Tom who is from the novel. In the book, Helen's baby playing with Tom (a boy who is part of the lower classes) symbolises the coming together of the social classes - I just finished my final exam on Howards End and A Passage to India this morning.
I like the quiet life. You know me.
Proud member of S.P.E.R.M.
21.07.07
Remember the young man that the old woman unsheathes the sword for and holds it up of him to see?
Remember when Mr. Bast is arriving after his long walk from the train station to Howards End? He asks a young boy where to find Howards End and the boy points down the lane from which he just emerged.
I would think that this same young man is the son of one of the farm workers or a grandson of the old woman herself. He is one of the future indentured servants of the place I am quite certain.
He is Charles and Dolly's son.....
shareno he is not, he is Tom
shareHe is Charles and Dolly's son.....
Tom's father was cutting the big meadow. He passed again and again amid whirring blades and sweet odours of grass, encompassing with narrowing circles the sacred centre of the field. Tom was negotiating with Helen.
"I haven't any idea," she replied. "Do you suppose baby may, Meg?"
Margaret put down her work and regarded them absently. "What was that?" she asked.
"Tom wants to know whether baby is old enough to play with hay?"
"I haven't the least notion," answered Margaret, and took up her work again.
"Now, Tom, baby is not to stand; he is not to lie on his face; he is not to lie so that his head wags; he is not to be teased or tickled; and he is not to be cut into two or more pieces by the cutter. Will you be as careful as all that?"
Tom held out his arms.
"That child is a wonderful nursemaid," remarked Margaret.
"He is fond of baby. That's why he does it!" was Helen's answer. They're going to be lifelong friends."